Not all celebrities are born with a fit body. Some are fat, some are thin, and that’s perfectly normal. But people tend to expect perfection. Many celebrities are criticized for their looks. Gossip magazines and their readers laugh at what celebrities wear, at their body structure, about how tall they are or how thin they are. Whatever happens, people always seem to find a reason to criticize the most prominent public figures. As the saying goes, you can’t please everybody. Yet celebrities still try to live up to other people’s expectations. To escape criticism and gain more fans, celebrities hire fitness coaches to guide them to the body they want.
However, other celebrities such as actors get fit not only because of their health but also because of their role. The film industry does not allow its actors to keep their current appearance if it does not suit their film character. Other actors even lose weight because they play a sick character in one movie and then gain weight again for another movie. This is not a healthy practice.
Whether you need to lose weight to play the role of the perfect ballerina, or whether you need to inflate yourself to look like a wrestler, a dramatic change in weight is not healthy. It weakens your immune system and increases your chances of getting sick. But actors don’t mind because it’s their job, and their livelihood depends on it. They have to meet the expectations of the audience. There are many celebrities who have lost too much weight, and that’s what our list is about today.
Celebrity Weight Loss Transformations
1. Sara Rue
Sara Rue is a 34-year-old actress who became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig. Since then she started running and lost 50 pounds. She told People Magazine that she was done losing weight, and she really was: since that interview, she has maintained her current weight.
2. Randy Jackson
This music legend tried sports to lose weight. Randy Jackson, the American Idol judge, weighed over 300 pounds in 2002. He decided he needed to get his diabetes under control, so in 2003, he opted for gastric bypass surgery and lost 100 pounds. After that he started eating fewer processed foods and cut back on sugar and fat. He has since been playing tennis and using a treadmill to keep the pounds off.
3. Ricki Lake
Who would believe that Hairspray’s chubby Tracy Turnblad is now a sexy size 6? Hairspray was Ricki Lake’s big break in 1988 after playing the main character, but in 1992 she lost 100 pounds. According to Ricki Lake herself, the key was starving herself. Since then, she has been managing her calories and has joined a fresh food delivery services, which has helped her maintain her new figure.
4. Kirstie Alley
If you’re looking for someone who is famous for yo-yo dieting, Kristie Alley would be close to the top of the list. The 62-year-old actress lost 75 pounds as a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, but after her contract ended she regained much of the weight she had lost. She even had her own show on that very topic. In 2008, when her weight had reached over 200 pounds, she made a promise to her fans to lose 80 pounds. In 2010, she announced on Twitter that she only had 30 left to go.
5. Al Roker
Al Roker, the weather anchor for The Today Show, had a fluctuating weight problem for his entire life. In 2002, his suit size was 60 and he weighed more than 340 pounds. In the same year, his wife suggested to him to undergo gastric bypass surgery; the surgery caused him to lose 140 pounds. Since the surgery, Roker has admitted that keeping his weight down has been and will be a lifelong battle, but that a regular exercise regime is keeping him steady for the moment.
6. Ron Lester
In 1999, Ron Lester was known as Billy Bob in Varsity Blues. Lester, who is now 43, at one point weighed over 500 pounds. In 2000, he decided he was fed up with playing fat roles, as he found it frustrating not being able to move freely on set. He underwent a gastric bypass surgery, which at this time was still experimental, so he had a total of 17 follow-up procedures to remove all the excess skin. However, it was worth it: Lester now weighs a healthy 193 pounds.
7. Mo’Nique
Mo’Nique had always been proud of her body. The comedian had always been vocal about how much she loved her curves. However, when she was diagnosed with high blood pressure, she decided to get healthy. In 2009, with a starting weight of 262 pounds and a dress size 20, she lost 45 pounds. She is now 45 years old and has given up fried foods, red meat, and junk food. She now fits a healthy size 14.
8. Renee Zellweger
When Renee Zellweger played the role of thirty-plus Bridget Jones, the actress transformed into a size 14 from a size 4. She gained 20 pounds to ace the role. However, after playing the role of Jones, Zellweger decided to slim down. Generally speaking, losing weight after rapid weight gain is very difficult; however, to Zellweger’s credit, she was able to return to an even slimmer size than she had boasted previously.
9. John Goodman
Roseanne’s Dan Conner, played by the actor John Goodman, weighed 368 pounds in 2007. After the film, Goodman decided to give up drinking and sugar, and start excising. Now, he is 61 years old, and has lost more than 100 pounds.
10. Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton, the celebrity blogger who proclaims to be the queen of all media, decided to eat healthily to lose weight. Perez Hilton, or Mario Lavandeira Jr., gradually ramped up his gym workouts and his healthier lifestyle, and lost 60 pounds in 3 years. At first, he decided to have a 30-minute walk every day, but after a gradual increase, he was training seven days a week. In 2010, he launched a website called FitPerex.com. This website focused on healthy habits and fitness.
11. Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson has taken us on a rollercoaster over the span of her career, being another of the yo-yo dieters referenced above. The world was shocked when she revealed her new-look, slimline curves in 2010. To reach her beautiful body, Janet Jackson said that she only ate a small bag of tortilla chips and an apple every day before shooting her music video Love Will Never Do. Today, however, she has opted for a much healthier diet and regular exercise. Janet is now 47 and healthy.
12. Star Jones Reynolds
Star Jones Reynolds doesn’t admit that she had a gastric bypass surgery. However, it was difficult to believe that a loss of 160 pounds in three years was possible without some drastic surgery or weight loss strategy. Star Jones Reynolds is now 51, and she continues to eat healthy food. Gastric bypass surgery may not be effective if you continue to eat unhealthy diets thereafter, because you may well return to your previous weight. The surgery is only an option for extremely obese people.
13. Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne, Ozzy’s daughter, dropped 50 pounds after Dancing With the Stars. That was when she decided to stop her emotional eating. Osbourne was featured in Shape Magazine in 2010. She is now 29 years old and enjoys her new size 2 body. According to her, all the weight training and workouts paid off massively.
14. 50 Cent
50 Cent’s weight-loss story was different from other celebrities. He did not decide to lose weight for cosmetic reasons or health concerns. He lost weight to play the part of a cancer patient in the film Things Fall Apart. Despite the high-profile role, his fans were still shocked when the photos of an emaciated 50 Cent popped up on social media. After the shoot, he decided to be himself again and regained the weight he had lost in September 2010.
15. Drew Carey
For comedian Drew Carey, having excess pounds is a serious health problem. He decided to lose weight, so he began to eat a high-protein diet along with fruit and vegetables. He also did cardiovascular exercises six times a week. Since January 2010, Drew Carey has lost 80 pounds. He is currently 55 years old and he told People Magazine that he no longer needs medication for his type 2 diabetes.
16. Oprah Winfrey
Another yo-yo dieter is popular tabloid fodder, Oprah Winfrey. She has repeatedly earned front-page gossip headlines due to her dramatically fluctuating weight. The reason for this is explained by thyroid disease. According to Winfrey herself, she uses this excuse to eat as much as she wants. But at some stage, she had lost 160 pounds and was seemingly very happy to have overcome her weight problems. Unfortunately, in 2008 she gained 200 pounds, and in 2010, she announced that she would never go on a diet again.
17. Christian Bale
Batman does not look good as a boxer: Christian Bale had to slim down to play that role in the film The Fighter. However, even before that, he played an insomniac in the film The Machinist, which required further weight loss. During the filming of The Machinist, Bale lost 63 pounds. These days, Christian Bale is 39 years old and he is taking a lot of supplements to keep the vitamins in his body. He is aiming for 122 pounds and is exercising regularly to achieve his target weight.
18. Jennifer Hudson
Everyone was shocked in 2010 when Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson dramatically lost weight. It was in August 2009 when she decided to lose weight, because of her upcoming film Winnie. In this film, she will play the role of the wife of Nelson Mandela. She hired Harley Pasternak as her celebrity coach. The Weight Watchers program supported her, and Jennifer Hudson reduced her calorie intake. From a size 16, she is now a size 6 and still trains regularly to this day.
19. Khloe Kardashian
The secret of Khloe Kardashian is lots of water. Just this year she lost a lot of weight, and she also says that training with her coach Gunnar Peters has helped her achieve a lot of her weight-loss goals. The reality TV personality emphasizes moderation. In her interview in People Magazine, she said that she eats what she wants, but limits the size of her portions. It’s hard for anyone to eat like this, but it’s worth a try.
20. Kevin Federline
Kevin Federline, also known as the former Mr. Britney Spears, gained weight and became 240 pounds in his 30th year. He was once a toned dancer, but his weight gain enabled him to return to the spotlight on the reality show Celebrity Fit Club on VH1 in 2010.
These are only twenty of many other celebrities who have lost too much weight. Whatever their reasons, be it for cosmetics, health or a movie, we should respect them.
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